Convertible roll-belt abrading machine



June 20, 1967 I w, c, BURT 3,325,947

CONVERTIBLE ROLL-BELT ABRADING MACHINE Filed Sept. 15, 1964 1 5 Sheets-Sheet l I NVENTOR.

WILLIAM C. BURT BY A T TORNEYS June 20, 1967 W. C. BURT CONVERTIBLE ROLL-BELT ABRADING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 15, 1964 w T m 5 m B Q m: M n6 w w A M H W w M/m: M t v: m oN I mm; w mm W /V A vL m U NN k I $1 Q: N: .Fi m9 0: Iii. r I :l|.wo mp m ATTQP/VEYS June 20, 1967 w. c. sum

CONVERTIBLE ROLL-BELT ABRADING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 15, 1964 INVENTOR.

WILLIAM C. BURT A TTOBNEYS June 20, 1967 w. c. BURT 3,325,947

CONVERTIBLE ROLL-BELT ABRADING MACHINE Filed Sept. 15, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR 36 WILLIAM C. BURT AYTOlZ/VEYS June 20, 1967 w. c. BURT CONVERTIBLE ROLL'BELT ABRADING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 15, 1964 nun WH I HIHI" A TTORNEYS WILLIAM C. BURT United States Patent 3,325,947 CONVERTIBLE ROLL-BELT ABRADlNG MACHINE William C. Burt, ()lean, N.Y., assignor to Clair Manufacturing Co. Inc., Olean, N.Y. Filed Sept. 15, 1964, Ser. No. 396,644 2 Claims. (Cl. 51-138) This invention relates to surface finishing machines, and more particularly to improvements in machines such as are especially adapted to grind, bore, clean, abrade, rough, delustre, brush, polish, glaze, buff, sand, or otherwise finish a sheet, plate, strip, coil or any other type stock pieces. More particularly, the invention relates to a novel machine for the above stated purposes, which provides facilities for both abrasive belt and abrasive roll processings of the work pieces.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a machine as aforesaid which is characterized by its overall compactness, and simplicity and ruggedness of construction; while being at the same time particularly suited for efiicient and speedy change-over adjustments and overall processing of the work pieces.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved machine as aforesaid which includes a fixed elevation bufiing or polishing or other processing roll and, interchangeable therewith an abrasive roller; and cooperable therewith, a vertically adjustable table mounting a work piece carrying conveyor for effecting the feeding of stockpieces through the machine. Another object is to provide an improved machine as aforesaid wherein the vertically movable table is biased vertically by air cylinder means, so that the processing roll or belt engages the work under predetermined uniform pressure conditions.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved machine as aforesaid including pinch roll means operable to hold the work pieces down against the conveyor means in improved manner.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved processing roll and belt drum mounting and driving arrangement, whereby the parts are readily accessible for changeover purposes, and whereby improved means are provided for reciprocating the work abrading means relative to the work pieces passing through the machine.

' It is another object of the invention to provide a machine as aforesaid which is of improved versatility in that it can be readily arranged to process a variety of thicknesses of strip or sheet stockpieces.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine as aforesaid which is adapted to operate with improved facility to fully finish flat stock sheets or strips from the leading edges to trailing edges thereof while avoiding undesirably fast pick-ups of the work pieces by the abrading means and/or scooting of the stockpieces through the machine.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the specificaiton hereinafter which shows one example of a machine of the present invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a machine according to the present invention, in its bufiing or polishing roll mode of operation;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged scale sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2, through a portion of the work piece hold-down;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged scale fragmentary sectional view taken as suggested by line 4-4 of FIG. '2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, enlarged scale, front end elevational view with portions broken away, of the machine when changed-over to the abrasive belt mode;

FIG. 6 is a right hand end view of the mechanism of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged scale sectional view taken as suggested by line 77 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the mechanism of FIGS. 57, illustrating the abrasive belt oscillation action; and

FIG. 9 is a diagram of the electrical control circuit for the machine.

As shown in the drawing herewith, the machine may be constructed to include a base 10 supporting a pair of upright pedestals 12, 14, at its opposite sides. The pedestals 12, 14 mount paired bearing blocks 1515 and 1616, which blocks carry hollow horizontally disposed shafts 17, 18 (FIGS. 1, 4, 5, 6) for support of a processing device, such as a bufling roll 20 (FIGS. 1, 2, 4) or an abrasive belt support drum 22 (FIGS. 5, 6) as will be explained more fully hereinafter.

The shafts 17-18 are fixed against axial displacements in the bearing assemblies 15-15 and 1616 by means of collars 23. The shaft 17 carries at its inner end a flexible coupling face plate 24, and the opposite face plate 26 is keyed to the axle or spindle 27 which supports and drives the buffing roll 20 (FIGS. 1, 2, 4) or the spindle 28 which supports and drives the drum 22 (FIGS. 5, 6) as the case may be, by means of key pins or the like as indicated at 29 (FIG. 4). At its other end the spindle 27 or 28 as the case may be, carries a flexible coupling face plate 30, the opposite face plate 32 of which is carried by the stub shaft 18. A drive pulley as indicated at 34 is keyed to the shaft 18 for gearing connection as by means of V belts 36 to the machine drive motor pulley 38 (FIG. 1). As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, 5, the parts are so dimensioned that the distance between the face plates carried by the spindles 2728 is shorter than the space between the face plates 24 and 32, whereby the processing roll or drum may be axially reciprocated incidental to rotaiton thereof for producing a more smoothly finished product, as will be explained more fully hereinafter.

This reciprocation may be attained by means of a pushpull rod 40 (FIG. 4) which extends through the hollow stub shaft 18 and connects at one end by means of a pin 42 to the face plate and spindle which drives the roll 20 or drum 22, as the case may be. At its other end the pushpu'll rod 40 extends into a cylinder 44 which is carried by and rotates with stub shaft 18; the cylinder 44 having disposed therein a piston 46 to which the rod 40 is fixedly connected. The cylinder 44 includes separate compressed air passageways 48, 49 which enter the cylinder through means of a rotary union 50 and connect therethrough with corresponding conduits 52, 54 which in turn lead to a solenoid controlled valve as indicated at 55 ('FIG. 9). The valve 55 may be of any four-way standard valve type adapted to deliver air under pressure either to the conduit 52 or the conduit 54, depending upon adjustment of the valve armature as by means of solenoids indicated at A, B. A similar control rod 56 (FIG. 4) is disposed to extend through the hollow stub shaft 17 and is connected at one end by means of the pin 29 to the roll or drum spindle so as to reciprocate axially therewith. At its other end the rod 5 6 is provided with an insulating ring 58 and with an electrical conducting ring 60, and this end port-ion of the rod 56 is rotatably mounted in axially slid-able relation within a bearing block 62 into which extend paired electrical contact brushes as indicated at 64, 66, respectively.

Thus, it will be appreciated that reciprocation of the roll or drum in axial direction will be accompanied by equal reciprocation of the conductor ring 60 relative to the contact brushes 64, 66, whereby as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 9, the conductor ring 60 will alternate- 1y interconnect the brushes 64, 64, or the brushes 66, 66; thereby alternately completing circuits to solenoid A and B, respectively. The solenoids A, B, are oppositely directed to alternately displace the armature of the valve 55 in opposite directions, thereby causing the valve to deliver compressed air alternately through the conduits 52, 54 into the cylinder 44 at opposite ends of the piston 46 therein. Hence, the reciprocation control system functions automatically and without interference with the driving rotation of the roll or drum. Processing roll changes are conveniently effected simply by first removing the pins 29, 42, and then moving the left hand bearing block unit to the left relative to the pedestal 12 as viewed in FIGS. 1, 4. This disconnects the assembly at the flexible coupling 24, 26, whereupon the processing roll spindle may be similarly displace-d toward the left to free it from the coupling face plate 32. Replacement of another processing roll or an abrasive belt drum thereon is effected by simply reversing the procedure.

The workpiece support and drive mechanism comprises essentially a table over which trains the upper strand of an endless conveyor belt which. slides upon the top surface of the table and which in turn carries the workpieces to pass under the processing roll or the abrasive belt, as the case may be. As shown herein the table structure may be fabricated to comprise a top'plate 70 (FIGS. 2, 6) supported by frame members 72.. At one end the table frame structure includes brackets 74 (FIG. 2) at opposite sides of the table for mounting the conveyor drive pulley 75 as by means of shaft as indicated at 76. At the opposite end of the table and at opposite sides thereof screw thread adjustable arms 78 are provided to extend from the table structure to mount the conveyor idler pulley 79. The conveyor belt is illustrated at 80 and the conveyor drive is shown to be provided by means of a belt and pulley system 82, 83 gearedto an electric motor 84.

The table structure is vertically supported by means of a centrally located pneumatic piston-cylinder unit as indicated generally at 90 (FIGS. 1, 2, The bottom end of the cylinder 90 is fitted with a downwardly extending screw threaded post 92 which is engaged by a nutbea-ring 94 mounted on the base portion of the machine. The threaded nut is driven by means of a Worm.

gear carried by a hand wheel shaft 96 whereby it will be appreciated that manual rotation of the hand wheel shaft will cause the post 92 to raise or lower. The piston rod portion 97 of the unit (FIGS. 1, 5) extends upwardly into supporting connection with a cross bar 98 which is fixed at its opposite ends to the side rails 72, as by means of angles 99. Thus, it will be appreciated that operation of the piston relative to the cylinder 90 will either raise or lower the conveyor table; the vertical position of the cylinder as adjusted manually by the hand Wheel 96 determining the datum for the piston-cylinder operation. The table is stabilized throughout the range ofits vertical adjustment by means of a pair of vertically standing telescopic bearing units 100-100 located at opposite sides of the table structure.

Thus it will be appreciated that a workpiece such as indicated at 101 (FIGS. 1, 2, 4) may be placed upon the top strand of the conveyor belt 80 whereby it will be driven to pass under the roll or the belt drum 22, as the case may be; either in the manner of a single pass or repeated straight line passes, or reciprocally back and forth under the process roll, as may be preferred. Depending upon the thickness of, the workpiece to be processed, the spindle will first be vertically adjusted by means of the hand wheel 96 to such a position that whence-mpressed air is delivered to the cylinder under control of treadle valve 102 (FIGS. 1, 2) the piston thereof will extend the table upwardly so as to press the workpiece against the processing member with the desired degree of pressure. Thus, although the table will be mechanically adjusted vertically in the first place to different workpiece thicknesses, in all cases after the initial adjustment the working pressure against the processing roll will be determined and maintained by the air pressure within the cylinder 90. Inasmuch as this is of a resilient nature a substantially uniform pressure will be exerted between the processing member and the workpiece throughout the entire extent of the operation.

The machine also includes a workpiece hold-down mechanism shown herein to comprise a pair of pin-ch rolls designated 104, 106 carried on corresponding idler spindles 107, 108. The spindles 107, 108 are journaled at their opposite ends Within spherical bearing blocks as indicated at 110 (FIG. 3); the bearing block '110 being carried within the upper ends of corresponding struts 112. The struts 112 are telescopically carried within sleeves 114 and include shoulder portions 116 which are biased in each case toward bottomed position in the sleeve 114 as by means of a compression spring 118, the tension of which is readily adjustable as by means of a lock nut system 119. As shown in FIG. 3, the sleeves 114 slidably extend vertically through support blocks 120 which are in turn welded or otherwise fixed to stirrup plates 122 carried by the side rail portions 72 of the conveyor table frame.

Thus the support blocks 120 are carried directly by the table frame, and the sleeves 114 are vertically slidable within the blocks 120. Locking devices of any suitable form are preferably provided for fixing the sleeves 114 in any desired positions of vertical adjustment relative to the blocks 120. As shown herein the locking devices may consist ofshoes 124 and machine screws 126 which when tightened will hold the shoes 124 against the sleeves 114 in frictional engagement therewith so as to lock the sleeves against any movement relative to the blocks 120. Thus it will be appreciated that to suit the pinch rolls to accommodate workpieces of different thicknesses, the screws 126 will be loosened and the sleeves 1'14 vertically adjusted relative to the blocks 120. The screws 126 will then be tightened, and the springs 118 will then supply the requisite resilient pressure forces for holding the workpiece firmly down against the conveyor belt as the latter transports the workpiece through the machine. This not only insures perfect frictional contact between the workpiece and the conveyor belt 80 for smooth and uniform finishing of the workpiece, but it also insures against any accidental scooting of the workpiece through the machine under the impetus of the processing member, such as might other-wise occur.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, the pneumatic jack is operator-controlled, as by means of the treadle valve 102; the valve and compressed air supply system being arranged so that whenever the operator steps on the treadle the jack 90 elevated the table so that the workpiece can come into bearing contact with the processing member. Thus, it is the resilient air pressure force exerted by the jack 90 that operates to maintain the workpiece in uniformly pressured relation against the processing roll as the conveyor transports the workpiece relative thereto. Upon completion of a processing operation the operator steps off the control pedal and the table thereupon lowers to a position substantially spaced below' the processing roll, thus avoiding undesirable'wearing contacts betweenthe proces ing roll and the empty conveyor belt.

The machine of the invention also features a quick change-over arrangement whereby the machine may be readily convertible from a buffing roll type machine as illustrated by FIGS. 1-4 and as described hereinabove, to an abrasive belt type machine. Thus, as shown by means of FIGS. 5-8, to convert the machine toan abrabelt 80, and an abrasive belt as indicated at 130 is arranged to train around and under the drum 22.

To support the upper end of the abrasive belt 130, an idler roll 132 is mounted by means of bearing blocks 134, 134 carried by a platform 136 which extends transversely between the belt strands just below the idler roll 132. The platform 136 is centrally supported by means of a post and lock nut device as indicated at 138; the post 138 being freely rotatable about its vertical axis and vertically slidable as in the manner of a piston within a socketed pedestal 140 extending integally and vertically from an S-shaped arm 142. A compressed air supply conduit as indicated at 143 (FIG. 5) connects into the chamber under the piston-post 138 for control of its upward thrust, and hence the tension on the abrasive belt. The arm 142 includes a bottom flange 144 which bolts as indicated at 146 to the top plate portion 147 of an inverted U-shaped bracket having side legs 148-148 which detachably mount by means of machine screws 149 to form vertical extensions of the machine pedestal 14. Thus, the idler roll 132 supporting the upper end of the abrasive belt 130 is supported to be generally parallel to the bottom drum 22 while being swivable about the vertical axis of the support post 138 (FIGS. 5, 8).

To cause the abrasive belt 130 to reciprocate on the drum 22 in directions axially thereof, provision is made for oscillating the idler roll suport platform about its vertical support axis. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6, 8, the platform 136 is provided with a lateral extension supporting a downwardly extending pin 150 which pivotally connects to the piston rod 152 of an air cylinder 154 which is mounted by a bracket 156 on an arm 157 extending from the stationary support pedestal 14. Thus, it will be understood that reciprocations of the piston rod 152 relative to the cylinder 154 along a path substantially parallel to workpiece movement will cause the idler control pin 150 to be similarly displaced so as to oscillate the idler roll support about the vertical axis of the post 138 as suggested by broken lines in FIGS. 6, 8. Adjustable stop devices as indicated at 158, 159 are preferably employed at opposite ends of the piston travel path, to limit the travel of the piston unit, and the speed of reciprocation of the idler roll.

To control the cylinder 154 a belt tracking detector device is provided, which for example may be as shown in the drawing herewith to comprise a cup-shaped baflle 160 carried at one end of arm 162 which is pivotally mounted as indicated at 163 upon the stationary bracket 156. The pivot device 163 includes a spring (not shown) operable to urge the arm and baflie unit toward the solid line poistion thereof shown in FIG. 7. The parts are so dimensioned and arranged that when the bafile 160 stands in the solid line position thereof shown in FIG. 7, it is shielded behind the abrasive belt 130, provided that the latter is then tracking on its rollers at that side of its prescribed oscillating tracking path. A pneumatic jet device as indicated at 164 supplied by a compressed air supply conduit 166 is arranged in such manner that the jet blast is directed toward the baffle 160, as shown in FIG. 7.

However, whenever the abrasive belt 130 tracks over so that the edge of the belt shields the bafile 160 from the air jet, the pivot spring action then moves the baffle arm 162 to the solid line position thereof as shown in FIG. 7. This actuates a two-way control switch 168 for delivering air under pressure to one end or the other of the cylinder 154 (see FIG. 9) thereby shifting the piston rod unit thereof so as to swing the idler roll carriage about its vertical axis as illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 8. This canting of the idler roll causes the abrasive belt to shift its tracking path, both on the drum 22 and on the idler roll 132, and in such manner that the shielding edge portion of the abrasive belt moves away from masking position relative to the baffle 160. The parts are so dimensioned and arranged that when the belt has reached the desired alternative tracking path, the baflle 160 is uncovered and the air blast from the nozzle 164 operates to sWing the baffle arm back to its broken line position as shown in FIG. 7. This action actuates the switch mechanism 168 so as to now direct compressed air into the opposite end of the cylinder 154, whereby the piston rod unit is propelled to cause the idler carriage to swing back again in the opposite direction.

Thus it will be appreciated that the mechanism will automatically provide for back and forth oscillations of the idler roll carriage about its vertical support axis, which in turn will induce corresponding tracking oscillations of the abrasive belt on the drum 22 in directions axially thereof. Thus, the abrasive belt media reciprocates laterally relative to the workpiece which is being processed, so as to prevent formation of scratch or other uneven abraded appearances on the surface of the finished workpiece.

As shown in FIG. 9, the control system of the machine may include power supply lines L1, L2 and a master selector switch is indicated at 200. When the master switch is manually thrown to the roll position power is supplied to the roll oscillation switch 62 (FIG. 4) whereby each axial shifting of the roll shaft 40 will eventually cause energization of one of the solenoids 202, 204; thereby alternately actuating the valves controlling the passage of compressed air through conduits 52, 54. Thus the roll 20 is caused to reciprocate as explained hereinabove in order to obtain a smoothly finished workpiece when being processed by a buffing roll or the like mounted on shaft 27. When the machine is to be used in the abrasive belt mode of operation the master switch 200 is thrown to belt position as indicated in FIG. 9, and a solenoid 206 is thereby energized to open a valve 208 which supplies compressed air pressure through conduit 143 to the belt tensioning piston-cylinder unit 138 described hereinabove. Simultaneously therewith, the circuit to the belt track sensor switch 168 is energized, so that whenever the belt moves on the idler drum to expose the paddle to be blown aside, the switch 168 will operate to change the direction of air flow into cylinder 154 until such time as the belt moves back again into paddle-shielding position. The mechanism then reverses, and thus it will be seen that the belt is caused to automatically shift back and forth on the roll 22 as explained hereinabove.

It will of course be appreciated that although only one form of machine embodying the invention has been illustrated and described in detail hereinabove, various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

' 1. A surface finishing machine comprising, in combinatron.

a supporting frame, a table supported by said frame and means on said table for translating a workpiece over said table,

a drive roller journalled on said frame in spaced parallelism above said table and means for driving said drive roller,

a pedestal mounted on said frame to one side of said drive roller and including an upper end portion disposed above said drive roller, said upper end portion of the pedestal defining a cylinder, a piston received In said cylinder and projecting upwardly from said upper end of the pedestal, means for supplying fluid under pressure to said cylinder to extend said piston,

a platform carried by the upper end of said piston for oscillation about the axis of said piston,

a tracking roller journalled on said platform about an axis contained within a plane parallel to a plane containing the axis of said drive roller,

an endless abrasive belt trained about said drive and tracking rollers and defining spaced vertical flights lying on opposite sides of said upper end portion of the pedestal,

an arm fixed to the upper end portion of said pedestal and projecting laterally therefrom to extend outwardly from between said flights,

a rod reciprocably carried by the far end portion of said arm for movement along a path substantially parallel to workpiece movement, a pin connected to said rod and extending radially therefrom,

a collar fixed to said platform and slidably receiving said pin, and

means for reciprocating said rod to oscillate said platform.

2. The surface finishing machine according to claim 1 including a sensing assembly carried by said arm and extending from adjacent the outer free end thereof to a position between said flights for sensing the presence of the abrasive belt edge thercadjacent, said sensing device being connected to said means for reciprocating said rod.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Halterbeck 51-142 Ernst 5134 X Olsen 51142 Murray 51142 Gluck W 51142 X Kile 51138 Conover 51-3 X ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner.

D. G. KELLY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SURFACE FINISHING MACHINE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION. A SUPPORTING FRAME, A TABLE SUPPORTED BY SAID FRAME AND MEANS ON SAID TABLE FOR TRANSLATING A WORKPIECE OVER SAID TABLE, A DRIVE ROLLER JOURNALLED ON SAID FRAME IN SPACED PARALLELISM ABOVE SAID TABLE AND MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID DRIVE ROLLER, A PEDESTAL MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME TO ONE SIDE OF SAID DRIVE ROLLER AND INCLUDING AN UPPER END PORTION DISPOSED ABOVE SAID DRIVE ROLLER, SAID UPPER END PORTION OF THE PEDESTAL DEFINING A CYLINDER, A PISTON RECEIVED IN SAID CYLINDER AND PROJECTING UPWARDLY FROM SAID UPPER END OF THE PEDESTAL, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID CYLINDER TO EXTEND SAID PISTON, A PLATFORM CARRIED BY THE UPPER END OF SAID PISTON FOR OSCILLATION ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID PISTON, A TRACKING ROLLER JOURNALLED ON SAID PLATFORM ABOUT AN AXIS CONTAINED WITHIN A PLANE PARALLEL TO A PLANE CONTAINING THE AXIS OF SAID DRIVE ROLLER, AN ENDLESS ABRASIVE BELT TRAINED ABOUT SAID DRIVE AND TRACKING ROLLERS AND DEFINING SPACED VERTICAL FLIGHTS LYING ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID UPPER END PORTION OF THE PEDESTAL, AN ARM FIXED TO THE UPPER END PORTION OF SAID PEDESTAL AND PROJECTING LATERALLY THEREFROM TO EXTEND OUTWARDLY FROM BETWEEN SAID FLIGHTS, A ROD RECIPROCABLY CARRIED BY THE FAR END PORTION OF SAID ARM FOR MOVEMENT ALONG A PATH SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO WORKPIECE MOVEMENT, A PIN CONNECTED TO SAID ROD AND EXTENDING RADIALLY THEREFROM, A COLLAR FIXED TO SAID PLATFORM AND SLIDABLY RECEIVING SAID PIN, AND MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID ROD TO OSCILLATE SAID PLATFORM. 